We are aware that certain companies have been contacting landlords and agents in an effort to sell their services to carry out risk assessments for legionella bacteria in rental properties. These tests are often expensive and in most situations are completely unnecessary as is recognised by the Health and Safety Executive in its mythbusters section of the website.

The above mirrors the advice that we have always given in our past blogs here : yes there must be a written risk assessment, and that risk assessment must be done by a competent person BUT “competent” does not mean having any specific qualifications – all that is required is for the person carrying out the risk assessment to understand the circumstances in which legionella bacteria grows and becomes a risk; and what steps can be taken to reduce the risk of disease. That could be the landlord or agent.